1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller, which performs a printing processing corresponding to a draw command from an application, and a control method, and a program, which performs a printing data processing practicable by a computer, and a recording medium, which stores a program readable by a computer.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, network equipment has been in general use, and a large number of personal computers (hereinafter, PC) and printers have come to be connected on a network. In such network surroundings, a printing job control system (dispersion printing system) has been known, wherein, when a printing is performed, with respect to a document having a number of pages or the document having a number of copies, a printing job is once spooled in order to attempt shortening of printing time, and every pages or every copies are dispersed to a plurality of printers, and are outputted.
Further, in such network surroundings, a printing job control system (color monochrome dispersion printing system) has been known, wherein, in order to attempt reduction of costs at printing time and shortening of printing time for one document where color pages and monochrome pages are intermingled, color pages are dispersed to a color printer and monochrome pages are dispersed to a monochrome printer, and are outputted.
Further, in such network surroundings, a printing job control system (broadcast printing system) has been known, wherein, by a single order, one document is simultaneously transmitted to a plurality of printers and printed.
Further, in such network surroundings, a printing control system (error proxy printing system) has been known, wherein, in the case where an error has developed on a printer for a document transmitted by the printer, the printer is automatically switched to another printer for printing.
However, in the case where, for example, the dispersion printing is performed via a printer driver, in order to perform a printing set-up in the dispersion printing, a complicated operation is required for the set-up of individual printers, and since the set-up is made one by one, it was difficult to have uniformity and consistence for the set-up of each printer (printer driver or device).
For example, speaking of a resolution, it is often the case that the ordinary printer has a function to correspond to several types of resolutions, and in the case where the printing process such as dispersion, broadcast, proxy and the like is performed by using a plurality of printers, there was a problem in that specifications with predetermined resolutions could not be designated by collective printing instructions.
For this reason, it was necessary to set printable resolution for individual printers or individual printer drivers, and this required complicated operations to perform the set-up separately.
On the other hand, in the case where the printing instruction to a plurality of connected printers is made via a virtual printer driver UI which brings together individual printers, when a printing is performed by matching a printing resolution suitable for a certain printer, there is a possibility that mismatching of printing resolution develops on other printer and lowers a print quality, and therefore, it was necessary for the user to check the printing resolution feasible for each printer and find and set the printing resolution, which can be set for all of the printers.
Further, speaking of a setting feasible area as another example, even when the printing is made on the same size paper, there are some cases where the setting feasible area printable by the printer is different depending on the printer to be used, and in the case where the printing such as dispersing, broadcast, proxy and the like was performed by using a plurality of printers by the printing job control system, there was no effective set-up method available for collective set-up so that normal printing output matter could be obtained by taking into consideration characteristics (setting feasible areas) peculiar to respective printers.
According to a conventional set-up method, the setting feasible areas of respective printers are checked so that the same printing area can be set for individual printers or individual drivers within a printable range by all of the printers. However, this necessitated complicated operations to perform the set-up separately.
Further, in the case where a set-up regarding a setting area such as a margin is set by one virtual printer driver which brings together respective printers, when the printing instruction is made by matching the setting area of a certain printer, there is a possibility that a lack of setting develops on other printer, and therefore, it was necessary after all for the user to check the setting feasible area of respective printers and find a range where a setting can be performed for all of the printers.
Further, in the case where the printing process by a virtual printer targeted at a plurality of printers is assumed, for example, a combination of a plurality of printers composing the virtual printer is sometimes changed accompanied with a change in a output method, and in order that the printing set-up is performed so as to be able to obtain the printing output matter having normalcy/uniformity for the combination of a plurality of printers changed in this way, according to the conventional arrangement, it was after all necessary for the user to check the printing set-up feasible items (printing capacity/printing function) and perform the set-up separately.